There is a saying that it is so noisy that you can‘t hear yourself think. Doctors who study noise believe that we must sometimes hear ourselves think. If we don‘t, we may have headaches, other aches and pains, or even worse mental problems.
Noise adds more tension (紧张) to a society that already faces enough stress. But noise is not a new problem. In ancient Rome, people complained so much about noise that government stopped chariots (四轮马车) from moving through the streets at night!
Ways of making less noise are now being tested. There are even laws controlling noise. We cannot return to the ―good old days‖ of peace and quiet. But we can reduce noise — if we shout loudly enough about it.
91. Why are scientists surprised by the findings in their noise study? A
A) Because the world is becoming more and more noisy. B) Because they have learned that noise is also a kind of pollution. C) Because noise is an unwanted waste for human beings. D) Because people knew little about noise before.
92. What may happen if we cannot hear ourselves think? C
A) We may forget what we have thought about. B) Our thoughts may be disturbed. C) Our mind may be harmed.
D) We may have difficulty finding the right words. A) our society is becoming much worse than before B) in our modern society it is hard to lead a quiet life C) the old days were much happier than the present time D) it is impossible for us to deal with noise as we did before 94. From the last sentence of the passage we can learn that D .
A) we can put noise under control if we take effective measures B) sometimes we have to shout loudly so that others can hear us C) shouting is the chief cause of noise pollution nowadays D) it is important to warn people of the danger of noise pollution 95. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? C
A) Only recently did people realize the harmful effect of noise.
93. When the writer says we cannot return to the good old days, he means that __B_ B) Noise pollution is the worst kind of pollution we suffer from. C) People are now trying to find ways to make noise as low as possible. D) The writer thinks that it is almost impossible for people to avoid noise.
Passage 20
An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault (断层). A fault is a fracture in the crust (地壳) of the earth along which rocks on one side have moved relative to those on the other side. Stresses in the earth's outer layer push the sides of the fault together, build up and the rocks slips suddenly, releasing energy in waves that travel through the rock to cause the shaking that we feel during an earthquake.
Earthquakes tend to be concentrated in narrow zones. There are 7 major crustal plates on earth, about 80 km thick, all in constant motion relative to one another. They move at between 10 and 130 mm per year.
It is estimated that there are several million earthquakes in the world each year. Many of these earthquakes go undetected because they occur in remote areas or have very small magnitudes (震级). The USGS Earthquake Information Center locates 12,000 to 14,000 earthquakes each year (about 35 per day). On average, about 60 earthquakes per year are classified as significant, with 19 classified as major. A significant earthquake is one of magnitude 6.5 or higher or one of lesser magnitude that causes casualties (伤亡) or considerable damage. Major earthquakes have a magnitude larger than 7.0.
96. The main idea of the passage is __A___. A) how earthquakes are formed and classified B) how earthquakes can be predicted and located C) earthquakes do not so often occur on the earth D) earthquakes are considered to be a threat to humans
97. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in this passage? D A) Earthquakes of large magnitudes cause casualties. B) Earthquakes often happen in narrow zones. C) Earthquakes involve the release of energy. D) Earthquakes can cause waves in the sea.
98. What can we learn from the passage? B
A) Scientists can locate most earthquakes. B) Earthquakes are very common on the earth. C) Scientists can find a way to prevent earthquakes.
D) More earthquakes of higher magnitudes are detected than those of lower ones. 99. How do scientists distinguish a significant earthquake from a major earthquake?C A) A significant earthquake is of higher magnitude. B) A significant earthquake can kill more people. C) A major earthquake is of higher magnitude. D) A major earthquake is of lower magnitude.
100. The word \ A) a stress in the crust
Passage 21
It was a happy combination of mountains, sea, and sun which made farming become the leading industry of the Southern Colonies (殖民地). The ocean made plentiful clouds, the clouds hitting the mountains made plentiful rain, the rain washing down the mountains for thousands of years had built a wide plain of fertile (肥沃的) soil. The rivers which had brought down the soil were steep near the mountains, but near the coast they were wide and rolling, deep enough for the small boats of the time to sail for miles. It was far enough south for the summers to be hot, so that the growing season lasted from six months in Maryland to about nine in South Carolina. If you add these ideal farming conditions to the early discovery of a New World crop which was always in demand in the Old World, you will readily understand why the Southern Colonies became a farming group.
Tobacco! This was the breath of life in Virginia, the oldest of the Southern Colonies. Men talked, thought, and bought in tobacco. It was a farming country, and other crops were also grown, but while the Southerner might have competition in the production of fruits and grains (wheat and rice and barley大麦), in tobacco he was a master. Tobacco! It was a magic word. Everything revolved around its production and it had a tremendous effect upon life in the South.
101. \New World crop\in the last sentence of the 1st paragraph most probably
C) an outer layer of the crust D) a cracked part in the rock
B) a large hole in the rock
refers to ___C__. A) wheat
B) rice
C) tobacco
D) barley
102. According to this passage ideal farming conditions in the Southern Colonies mainly consisted of __B___. A) a long coast and high mountains B) plentiful rain and the long growing season C) hot summers and steep mountain rivers D) plentiful clouds and deep soil
103. Which of the following was NOT a factor that makes the Southern Colonies become a farming group? A A) Competition in producing fruits and grains. B) The early discovery of a New World crop. C) Favorable geographical location. D) Ideal farming conditions.
104. Tobacco was said to be \ A) it brought a big profit to the Southern Colonies B) tobacco was in steady demand in the Old World C) the Southerner had competition in its production D) the Southerner's life depended on it to a great extent 105. The phrase \ A) was only interested in
Passage 22
Information has always been at the center of human communication. You may ask why. Well, communication between people involves giving and receiving information. The way we give and receive information today has experienced a revolution in the development of the mass media in the 20th century.
The first truly mass communication medium was the newspaper. For the first time in history, people could read about events in their country and from around the world every day. However, there were two problems with newspapers of that time. Firstly, newspapers were available only in large cities, for getting newspapers to the countryside was a difficult and time-consuming task. Secondly, newspapers weren't
C) moved in a circle around D) gradually developed into
B) was closely connected with
always reliable, as there was a limited range of opinions.
Nowadays, we can choose from a wide variety of sources to get information. Television and the Internet have given us the chance to be informed about everything the minute it happens. Numerous radio and TV stations, satellite channels and millions of websites help people keep up with the latest news. People live history and are part of it.
The media have come a long way in the last century and there is no doubt that we now live in the information age. Whatever type of media we choose, it all comes down to the need for information. This will always be a basic need as long as communication is part of human nature.
106. Information is considered to be the center of human communication because _A___.
A) human communication means information exchange B) human communication involves people's participation C) information is now experiencing a revolution D) information helps people gather together
107. What was the historical contribution of the newspaper as a source of information? C
A) It made the mass communication truly develop. B) It helped the mass communication develop in cities. C) It kept people timely informed about the world events. D) It kept reliable information available in big cities.
108. What was NOT the problem with the newspaper of that time? D A) Its difficult delivery in the countryside. B) Its limitation of information sources. C) Its limited reliability of information. D) Its easy circulation in big cities.
109. The third paragraph mainly tells us that technology helps __A___. A) information easily available B) people be part of history __B__.
C) inform everything timely D) produce the latest news
110. It can be safely concluded from the last paragraph that a basic need today is